Bus Report #1075

 My commutes and rides have been relatively uneventful lately, but rest assured I am still on Muni several days a week. 

Today I walked down to the bus a few minutes later than usual, Monday mornings being, you know, Monday mornings.

The bus arrived and I got on, sat in my single seat by the window, which I pushed all the way open before I was even seated.

At the next stop the boy who used to ride the bus with his mom and little brother got on. Taller, older, old enough to ride by himself. We smiled at each other. He went to sit in the back and spent his commute watching videos with the sound on. Normally it would bother me, but he's a good kid. 

More than a few Betty White tributes in the Castro, warming my heart for the duration of the ride.

We met the sunrise just before the hairpin turn onto Market. The city looked beautiful - foggy, matte grey everywhere, the buildings punching up through the hazy early morning light.

Dolores Park an elderly woman (fully masked, face shielded) wheeled her even older relative (mom? sister?) onto the bus. The seated woman also masked, face shielded, in one of those dusty lavender padded jackets that were popular in the 80s. The woman wheeling had a hard time situating her mom in the wheelchair space in the front, so our driver got up and helped. Nice.

At Mission and 18th the lights from El Ranchito Market shone brightly, illuminating the sheer abundance of the place. Mountains of fruit and vegetables out front. The shelves inside the market stocked full up to the ceiling as always.

Three heavily masked and backpacked folks got on, followed by someone with neither mask nor backpack. This man had a shaved head, thin coat, no mask in sight. He clutched two white pillows in his arms. One of the pillows was splashed with bright red blood. Actual blood. I cringed.

The bloody pillow man got out at the next stop, thankfully. Our driver honked at the tech bus idling in our stop (so I guess they're back, fabulous!). 

At Potrero I got out, thanked our driver. 

In the office, thinking of the bloody pillow, I washed my hands like Lady MacBeth.

And now the sun is shining and everything is beautiful. Have a great week!